This weekend my family got together for our monthly “family day” at my sister’s house to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday. I’m not sure exactly when our monthly get-together tradition officially started, but I’m glad it did. My family is close, and we spend a lot of time together normally,  but it seems over the last few years with life getting busy with our growing families, jobs and just “stuff” that we weren’t getting together as a whole as often as we used to. My mom has been great about reaching out to each of us and setting a date that works for everyone to get together each month. We usually rotate houses and it seems that there always happens to be a reason to celebrate, whether it be a birthday or holiday or just each other.

Of course, food is absolutely always involved.

(My Nonna enjoyed playing my assistant while I took photos )

Last summer, at another family day at my sister’s house (where I made these cheesy corn stuffed jalapenos), my sister served up a corn and tomato salsa that was out of this world. When I was contacted by RO*TEL this month to host a Spring into Summer party and giveaway I immediately knew that I wanted to recreate that salsa and use RO*TEL tomatoes. My sister shared her recipe with me and I used it as a guide to put this super simple salsa together. Her recipe actually includes black beans, but on the day she made it for us she was actually out of them…I personally liked it without the beans because it was so light and refreshing, and since the second dish I was bringing over included beans (recipe to come) I opted to keep them out again.

There were plenty of good eats served up yesterday including deviled eggs (could not stop eating), a few dips, salads and fresh watermelon. My sister grilled up some hot dogs and had pulled barbecue turkey breast in the crock pot for sandwiches. My mom played bartender and kept these fresh whiskey sours flowing for us (so good – a must try!). Birthday cheesecake was enjoyed for dessert.

I put this salsa together in just minutes. Everything was in the pantry or freezer and it made a large amount, perfect for entertaining or for storing in the fridge as leftovers to use in other meals such as taco salads or over grilled chicken.

Zesty Corn Salsa

2 cans RO*TEL diced tomatoes
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (if using fresh, lightly steam corn first then remove off cob. if using frozen, defrost by running under cool water)
juice from one lime
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
drizzle of olive oil

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Optional add ins: can of rinsed and drained black beans and chopped fresh cilantro

Giveaway:

Two lucky winners will receive their own Spring into Summer prize packs, courtesy of  ConAgra Foods and RO*TEL

Prize pack includes: two cans of RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, recipe cards, chip and dip serving bowl, party lights and an outdoor game set

Starts today, Monday, May 21 and ends Tuesday, May 29 at 12 noon (EST)

(Sorry, giveaway open to US readers only. Winners will be chosen randomly using Pick Giveaway Winner plugin application – winners will be notified by email and have 48 hours to claim prize or another winner will be selected.)

To enter into the giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post telling me if you make your own salsa and/or what your favorite way to prepare it is.

Additional Entries can be earned by:

(leave a separate comment after you complete each item, each comment will count as an entry)

1. “Like” Aggie’s Kitchen on Facebook. (if you already a fan, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

2. Follow @AggiesKitchen on Twitter (if you already follow, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

3. Share about giveaway on Twitter: “I want to win a RO*TEL party pack from @aggieskitchenhttp://su.pr/1muEeA #giveaway ”

4. Share about giveaway on Facebook with link to this post.

5. Subscribe to Aggie’s Kitchen RSS feed.

6. Follow Aggie’s Kitchen on Pinterest.

(Disclosure: I am in a working relationship with RO*TEL and ConAgra Foods and have received compensation and product for this post.)

You can find more recipes and ways to use RO*TEL on their website, Facebook page, Pinterest board or by following them on Twitter.

Last month, I shared with you this super-easy, super-quick chicken recipe as part of Hellmann’s Chicken Change-Up Challenge. It turned out so good that I wanted to play around some more and make an appetizer to serve up some friends at a little dinner get-together at my home one evening.

Now, I’ve mentioned before how much I love appetizers – and it sounds like most of you like to snack your way through a meal too. If you’re one of those appetizer people, like I am, then you will love these Baked BBQ-Cheddar Chicken Bites and Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites (shown above). Call them nuggets if you wish, I like the word “bites” much better, don’t you?

I decided to make two different kinds of chicken bites, a kicked up buffalo-style one for the grown-ups and a kid-friendly bbq version. Both kinds were gobbled up by grown-ups as well as kids, all the same. Let me tell you, these two plates of chicken did not last very long at all. Everyone agreed, the chicken was GOOD and everyone was surprised at how crisp, but not dry, it turned out in the oven (as opposed to frying). No one realized what the “secret” ingredient was (mayonnaise!) and with just a few ingredients, these chicken bites turned out really moist and flavorful. It was a perfect way to start a meal with friends.

I rounded the chicken apps out with a nice plate of veggies and Ranch dip that everyone munched on until the rest of the meal was ready.

Next time you are getting together with family and friends, whether for a sit-down dinner or game-time apps (or to just hang out and eat!), try out these chicken bites. The ideas are pretty endless as far as changing them up too, I could see them going Asian-style or even Italian-style (with Italian seasoning & Parmesan cheese breading and marinara dipping sauce – YUM!). Have fun with these recipes!

Hellmann’s BBQ-Cheddar Chicken Bites
Recipe slightly adapted from Hellmann’s BBQ-Cheddar Crusted Chicken recipe

1 1/4 lb chicken breasts, cut into 1″pieces
1/2 cup Hellmann’s or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise (I used Light)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine Hellmann’s or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise, cheese and barbecue sauce in a medium bowl. Add chicken pieces into mayonnaise mixture and gently toss to thoroughly combine.

Put bread crumbs in large shallow dish. Place each chicken piece into bread crumbs and toss to coat. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 7 minutes, then carefully flip each chicken bite. Bake for an additional 7-10 minutes until golden brown.

To make the Buffalo Chicken Bites version, I used Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo sauce in place of the barbecue sauce and I left out the cheese. I also used panko, but feel free to use your bread crumb of choice.

Visit Facebook.com/Hellmanns to participate in the Chicken Change-Up, where you can find ideas on managing dinner dilemmas and enter for a chance to win daily prizes.

(Disclosure: Hellmann’s provided me product and compensation for this post, but as always the words and opinions on this blog are always my own.)

For some reason, when I’m hosting any holiday meal, appetizers (finger foods, snacks, munchies…whatever you want to call them) seem to fall way low on the priority list as far as menu planning. It’s not because I don’t love them, they are actually my favorite part of any meal and I personally could eat a whole shlew of apps and happily forgo the rest of the food any day.

I’m a snacky kind of girl – put some dips, chips, cheese (like the one up there) and stuffed mushrooms in front of me and I will snack happy all day long.

So why so low on the list? Well, probably because I’m just a little preoccupied with other things – like making a lasagna, salad, garlic bread, sangria and cleaning my house in time for lunch on Easter Sunday.

It’s all good, it’ll all get done (it always does ).

If you are in the same boat as me, whether you are hosting or bringing a dish to a meal this Easter Sunday, and you need an idea of something “snacky” to serve while everyone is waiting for the main meal, then look no further. I’ve got you covered right here.

Garlic Feta Dip (warning: you may not want to share this with anyone, its good)

Mediterranean Stuffed Mushrooms (for all your veggie friends)

Edamame Dip (served with pumpernickel pretzel rods and triscuit crackers – it just looks so springy doesn’t it?)

Fruit and Fruit Dip (always a good idea!)

Other favorites:

Spicy Pistachios

Mixed Nuts with Rosemary

Sweet ‘n Salty Honey Cheese Spread

Hot and Spicy Artichoke Dip

Some more yummies from friends:

Swiss Cheese Onion Dip from Reluctant Entertainer (shown above)

Stuffed Endive with Walnuts and Honey from Reluctant Entertainer

Buffalo Chicken Deviled Eggs from Baked By Rachel

Honey Prosciutto Flatbread Appetizer from She Wears Many Hats

Goat Cheese and Walnut Stuffed Celery from The Little Kitchen

Taco Seasoned Pretzels from Bake Your Day

Artichoke and Green Olive Tapenade from Closet Cooking

Happy Easter!!

Saturday nights in our household usually work like this.

Everyone: We’re hungry. What’s for dinner?

Me: I don’t know.

Silence.

This is where I have to make that decision of whether or not we call out for pizza (which we probably had the night before, we love our Friday night pizza) or pull out some magic in the kitchen. Our Saturday nights during the last few months have usually been in front of the television watching college football…(we won’t talk about our sad Gator season, thank you very much)…so Saturday night food feels like it needs to be ‘snacky’ if you know what I mean.

My kids aren’t at the point of eating this dip yet, so don’t be all impressed. They would get a toasted cheese pita or tortilla in this situation. Saturday nights are about survival people. And a good dip with a couple of good beers too.

I just posted the recipe for this yummy Hot and Cheesy Black-Eyed Pea dip over on Family Kitchen. Go ahead check it out.

I can not get enough of this dip lately. It’s been the perfect munchie to make on the weekends, especially with football season in full swing. It’s super simple to make and pretty to look at, don’t ya think? Something about fresh cilantro and sliced jalapenos as garnish just put a smile on my face and instantly makes me hungry.

So go ahead, grab a Corona and dig in.

I’m sharing the recipe for Black Bean Fiesta Dip over at Babble’s Family Kitchen this week…enjoy!

My baby boy turns SEVEN today. I can not believe I am the mother of a 7 year old. I swear, he was just born the other day. People are not kidding when they say having kids makes time fly by.

(special breakfast today…Daddy’s grilled cheese but only because mama forgot to buy eggs to make chocolate chip pancakes! Boo!)

I feel like he was just 7 weeks old…

Or 2…

Even 3 years old…

Now he’s all grown up… an awesome big brother and even more awesome son. Gosh, I just LOVE this kid!!

(He’s 4 here…)

We are going to celebrate him today…go kart racing after school then at his request headed to a hibachi steakhouse for some dinner, then home for some brownie sundaes and of course….presents!!  (We will be in LEGO heaven this evening…). Happy Birthday Sammy!!! xoxoxo

*************************************************************************************************

While you’re here…I have to share with you these awesome Baked Boardwalk Fries that my fam and I just can’t get enough of. I just posted them on Babble so head over there to check out the recipe! Serious yum!!

I invited Rachel of Not Rachael Ray over here today to share one of her yummy recipes with you. I have been reading Rachel’s blog for a few months now, we met on Twitter (right Rachel?), talking about food and fitness I’m sure, and I am so glad we did because I love her blog and her food! What makes her posts a little extra fun to read are her notes after each recipe she cooks, I love seeing what her and her husband’s thoughts are about the recipe and if there is anything she would do differently . And can I just say…her daughter is adorable! Thanks for being here Rachel…these Stuffed Zucchini look amazing!

Make sure you stop by Rachel’s blog and say hello!

*****************************************************************************************************

When Aggie asked me to guest post for her, I jumped at the chance. I’ve been reading her blog for awhile now and have loved it from the very beginning. Aggie and I are similar in many ways, family girls, healthy eaters (although I think she has better discipline in that department than I do), and fitness lovers.

I’ll quickly introduce myself, if you want to learn more, check out my blog and my about me page. I started my blog because I love cooking and baking, but I’m not a trained chef. I went to school to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and while I love that job, I have transitioned into being a stay-at-home mom. I still work at the hospital here and there when I’m needed, but most of the time I’m at home hanging out with my little girl. Being a stay-at-home mom has given me more time to try new recipes and document them on my blog for everyone else to try. It has become such a fun hobby and a new passion of mine.

Today I have some stuffed zucchini for you. It is a quick and easy side dish.

Typically I prepare zucchini one of two ways: Sautéed in a pan with or without other veggies, or thrown on the grill with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Boring right? Especially when you write a food blog.

I think it scares my husband when I utter the words, “I tried something new today.” See, my husband loves all things traditional.

Having steak? It better be served up on a plate with some sautéed mushrooms.

Cooked carrots? Mashed up with chili powder? What?

Chocolate chip cookies? Hope there aren’t any oats or nuts included in the dough! (Side note: I read this post to him, and he said “Yeah, that really bugs me.” Ha!)

Carrot soup on the menu? Somebody will be walking through the door with carry-out bags.

In all honesty, he’s a really good sport and will try almost anything. And I’m not a horrible wife; I won’t make things if I am already certain he won’t like them. In fact, most times, I try to make things that he really is going to love. Like seared tuna, braised lamb shanks, and BBQ chicken pizza.

However, sometimes I do live life a little bit on the edge and push the boundaries a bit. Because I write a food blog. And because I love trying new things. Pushing the boundaries is what I thought I was doing with this concoction. Hubs isn’t a big cheese lover (I know, so weird!), so I wasn’t entirely sure he would like these stuffed zucchini. But I figured he could always push the cheese out and still eat the zucchini. Win-win. Turns out he loved them.

They’re super easy and delicious and a fun new side dish. I used a spreadable cheese of the “savory vegetable” variety. This recipe would be great with a garlic-herb cheese spread, but hubs isn’t a huge garlic lover, and like I said, I’m not a completely horrible wife!

Stuffed Zucchini (makes 4 servings)
a Not Rachael Ray original

2 zucchinis
1/2 to 3/4 cup of spreadable cheese (pick your favorite variety)
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. Cut off ends of zucchini and slice lengthwise so that you have four long halves. Using a spoon, hollow out the middle (take out the seeds) of each half, leaving a little bit on each end to prevent the filling from running out. Place zucchini on foil-lined sheet pan (for easy clean-up!).
3. Spread cheese into hollowed out zucchini.
4. Sprinkle with diced red bell pepper.
5. Cover each zucchini with breadcrumbs, and spritz with olive oil. (If you don’t have a spritzer, just drizzle as lightly as possible, or spray lightly with non-stick spray.)
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until zucchini is cooked and breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Verdict: These turned out so great! The zucchini was perfectly cooked and with the creamy cheese and crispy breadcrumbs, everything just worked. Great textural variety.
Husband’s take: Surprisingly, he said, “I actually really like them, they are good.” I practically fainted. Okay, not really. But I was pleasantly surprised.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: Easy!

Thanks again for having me, Aggie!

Lots of deliciousness going on over at Family Kitchen last couple of weeks. In case you missed any of it…here’s a little roundup of what I’ve got cooking.

Baby Bella Philly Sandwiches

Doughnut Love…

Baked Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Black Bean Quesadillas

Creamy White Bean and Artichoke Spread

Sesame Tofu Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce

Pesto, Pasta and Peas with Cherry Tomatoes

Bruschetta Patty Melts

Sweet and Sour Peppers

And in addition to the recipes…I’m hosting a cookbook giveaway for Real Housewives of NJ Teresa’s Fabulicious!

Also read about Mominations…Babble’s way of recognizing the amazing women in our lives!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

(this giveaway is now closed…thank you to all who entered)

I have been making pesto this past month like it’s nobody’s business. Every time I run out, I make more. I put it on everything…pizza, pasta, soup, bread and even use it as a dip for…pretzels.

I love me some pesto.

I normally make my pesto with pine nuts, but since I have a Costco sized bag of walnuts hanging in the pantry I have been using walnuts instead. And I like it. It gives the pesto and earthier flavor, and if you didn’t know, walnuts kick butt in the nutrition department. So it’s all good.

Now in addition to this pesto recipe, I have another favorite thing to share with you. My new Blendtec blender. Blendtec was nice enough to send me a blender to try out as well as one to give to one of my readers – that’s you.

How cool is that? You will love this blender people, it’s hard core. I have made 20 something smoothies in it already (there is a digital counter on the blender that counts your uses, my kids and I think that is the coolest thing). I’ve even started to make whole juices. I’ve made salsa … and this pesto. I’m having some fun with my new blender. And the winner will too.

Giveaway:

Blendtec Total FourSide Blender (value $484.95) plus an additional WildSide jar.

(Blender is factory reconditioned, as the one I received is)

Starts today, Tuesday August 9 and ends Friday, August 19 at 12 noon (EST) {edited to fix date to Aug 19, not Aug 20}

Sorry, giveaway open to US readers only. Winner will be chosen randomly using Pick Giveaway Winner plugin application {edited to write Pick Giveaway Winner plugin application instead of Random.org}

To enter into the giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what you use your blender for the most.

Additional Entries can be earned by:

(leave a separate comment after you complete each item, each comment will count as an entry)

1.  “Like”  Blendtec on Facebook.

2. “Like” Aggie’s Kitchen on Facebook. (if you already a fan, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

3. Follow @Blendtec on Twitter

3. Follow @AggiesKitchen on Twitter (if you already follow, let me know, that counts as an entry!)

4.  Share about giveaway on Twitter: “I want to win a Blendtec from @aggieskitchen and @Blendtec! http://bit.ly/nV2cZJ”

5. Share about giveaway on Facebook with link to this post.

6. Subscribe to Aggie’s Kitchen RSS feed.

Good Luck!!

Toasted Walnut Basil Pesto

Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen

4 heaping cups of basil leaves
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 – 1/3 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/4 – 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lemon (helps maintain fresh green color!)
big pinches kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients to the pitcher of your blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth.

(Disclosure: This giveaway is being provided by Blendtec. All opinions here, as always, are my own.)

PS…apparently I’m in the giveaway mood. Head over to Family Kitchen to enter to win a new cookbook!

Is summer flying by or what? The first part of our summer seemed so slow and lazy…but then July kicked in and phew…it’s almost over!  School is starting here in less than 3 weeks. Craziness!

If I had to pick a favorite meal this summer…it might be this pizza. I made it a couple times last week with some naan bread I took out of the freezer and some leftover pesto I had in the fridge. I used what I had which happened to be yellow bell peppers, vidalia onions and tomatoes for toppings. And freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Not much to this pizza…pretty much what you see is what you get and it’s obviously full of veggie goodness. The process of grilling the naan bread was pretty simple. I heated up the grill and brushed some water (you can use oil too) on one side of the bread. I put the bread on the hot grill for a few minutes until I saw light grill marks and it was slightly crisp. At that time I pulled the bread off the grill onto a cutting board and brought it inside to “top”. Once all the toppings were on the already grilled side of the bread, back out to the grill the pizzas went where they cooked for a few more minutes under a closed top grill.

I served the pizza alongside a simple arugula salad with mustard vinaigrette. Perfection.

Grilled Veggie Naan Pizza with Pesto

serves 2-3

2 Naan Flatbreads
4 tablespoons pesto (preferrably homemade for best flavor)
1 large yellow bell pepper (red or orange will be just fine), sliced wide into rings
1 large tomato, sliced
1/2 large vidalia onion, sliced into rings
freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper
red pepper flakes, optional

Preheat grill to medium hot. Brush one side of bread with water or olive oil and place onto hot grill rack. Grill for a few minutes until bread has light grill marks and is slightly crisp. Carefully take off grill and set aside, grilled side down.

Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto on to each of the non-grilled sides of the bread. Top with pepper rings, tomato slices, vidalia onion rings and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper and carefully place back on hot grill. Close grill and let cook for about 4-5 minutes, checking for melting cheese.

Once cheese is melted and bread is crisp, take off grill, slice and serve.

Enjoy!